


A Menagerie of Tainted Summers

by Juzosuke-Ishimondo (Aster_Nightingale)



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Bullying, M/M, Sad, Timelines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:54:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23082061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aster_Nightingale/pseuds/Juzosuke-Ishimondo
Summary: A little timeline story because I like those. I don't really remember writing most of this or where the inspiration came from, but I hope you suffer like I did because of this.
Relationships: Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 95





	A Menagerie of Tainted Summers

**Author's Note:**

> Just to clear things up:  
> 1) Yes, there are some 3 year olds who can read. It's a thing. I started reading around that age.  
> 2) The symbolism of flowers on a desk basically mean "kill yourself" at least in fanfic. Idk irl.  
> 3) I'm not good with names or titles. I apologize.

It's 7 am, and he's 3 years old. Kiyotaka Ishimaru is already awake and dressed. He already ate breakfast, and as he finished brushing his teeth, his mother called him. He runs to her, gives her a hug, and gets in the car as he tells his father goodbye. His first day of kindergarten is fun. He learns a lot. All of the other students are kind, and they are happy that he's one of the few people who can read. He reads well, for a boy of 3, and that earns him quite a few friends. He's happy when he tells his parents about his day. They tuck him in, read him a story, and tell him goodnight. He has dreams of playing tag again.

He's 5 when things begin to change. Grandpa doesn't talk anymore. Mom and Dad are often shouting at each other. Kiyotaka tries to remain positive. He smiles brightly, takes care of himself, and doesn't ask for anything he doesn't need. He's such a good boy, or so his parents say as they pat his head. The other kids at school aren't nice anymore: flowers on his desk, snails and bugs in his bento, dead rat forced into his mouth, mud in his shoes or no shoes at all, and more. The teachers see it. They do nothing, and when little Kiyotaka tells, they simply sneer at him and say they'll talk to them. They don't. They never do. He learns quick that it's because his grandfather did something bad, something so bad that no one can talk about it. The 5 year old cries himself to sleep every Sunday. He doesn't want Monday to come anymore. He doesn't want to be hurt anymore.

He's 6 when he's beaten up for the first time. Another boy 4 years his senior, Natsuo Kato, picks him up by his shirt collar and slams him against a wall.

"It's because of your stupid grandpa my dad can't find a job anymore!" Natsuo drops him, kicks him in the ribs, and spits on his face.

Kiyotaka can only whimper out that physical violence is wrong and against the rules. He can only tell Natsuo to stop because the older boy will get in trouble. Natsuo only kicks him more and harder in the stomach and ribs. Kiyotaka can't breathe. Everything goes black.

He wakes up in the nurses office. His indoor shoes have mud in them. His outdoor shoes are missing. There is mud and dead bugs in his hair. He cries. No one comforts him. He goes home and whimpers when he moves. Everything hurts for weeks, and it gets worse when the other kids shove him. The worst of it was when he was shoved down the stairs. Everyone laughed while his face grew damp with tears and blood. Still, he did his best to remain positive: he'd do better, and they could all be friends again. He begins to pour all his spare time into studying. He was already top of his kindergarten class, and now, he only ensured he kept it till elementary.

He's 9 when he thinks he made his first friend in years. Inari Hashimoto is...kind to him. They sit together at lunch sometimes. He doesn't push him or make him eat weird things. He talks with him, laughs with him, and they do homework and read in the library together. He's so happy that he agrees without any hesitation to go to his supposed friend's birthday party. When he goes, all his bullies are there. He stiffens, but he is Kiyotaka Ishimaru. He will not allow himself to be intimidated into leaving his friend's party without at least telling him so. He couldn't afford much, but after long amounts of work for his neighbors, he saved up enough to buy Inari a notebook with a cute fox on it. It wasn't much, but it was all he could afford.

The day isn't good. His face is smashed into his slice of cake. He's not invited and discouraged from playing games. He's told to shut up everytime he tries to speak, and worst of all, Inari just sighs and rolls his eyes when he sees Kiyotaka's gift for him. Kiyotaka nearly cries. When the parents finally leave them alone, it gets worse.

He's shoved to the floor. They stomp on his back. Inari is...not getting angry. No, Inari is laughing. His friend his laughting at him. He begins to cry.

"W-w-why a-are you l-l-laughing, I-inari? A-are...a-a-are we not f-f-friends?" He managed through his sobs.

Inari stops laughing. He stops and stomps on Kiyotaka's head. Inari grinds his heel on the head underneath it. Kiyotaka cries out in pain. "Just shut up! Of course not! I only spent time with you because I lost a bet!" After one more stomp, he glares at him. The other bullies let him go, and he runs back home. The notebook is on his desk the next day. Many of the pages are torn or have something written on them. It's mostly just insults, but the words telling him things like how alone he is, how no one wants him, or how they wished he disappeared hurt the most. He throws the notebook away. He doesn't regret buying it, but he hopes he'll do better at making friends next time.

He's 13 when he finds a letter in his locker. Masako Nakayuki is a lovely girl who sits near him. She asks for his help on assignments, and they get along fairly well. It seemed strange to Kiyotaka that she wrote a letter instead of just telling him to meet her behind the gym, but he couldn't turn her away believing that she just wanted more tutoring.

He was wrong.

"I-I like you!" Kiyotaka smiled.

"I'm glad you like me, Masako! I like you as well!" Masako was ecstatic.

"R-really?!"

"Of course, you are a model student, after all! I greatly respect your dedication for your school work!"

Masako frowned. "No, I mean, would you like to...kiss me, I guess."

Kiyotaka frowed. "I'm sorry, but I would not define our relationship as romantic."

"Then who do you _like?!_ "

Kiyotaka thought for a moment before answering. "Maybe...Yuuya Torii? He's rather nice."

Masako looked shocked. "Wait, you like...you like another boy?!"

She ran away. A week later they found new names to call him. He got another letter. This time from a boy, Keisuke Umeno. Keisuke was...handsome, smart, and kind. Kiyotaka was actually somewhat excited. He got red paint dumped on him for his courage. He didn't like Keisuke anymore.

He's 15 when he starts Kaisaidan. He's the top student despite all the hardships he had to overcome. The school didn't want to let him in, but with 100 on every test and being the top student to ever make the cut, they couldn't get rid of him. He quickly establishes and leads a moral committee. People still beat him up and call him names, but this time, he doesn't mind! He did it! His hardwork and effort paid off!

5 months into the school year, he gets a letter. Hope's Peak Academy? Of all the schools in Japan, this was the last one he ever expected to get a letter from. After all, they only wanted geniuses. Normal men and women like him didn't make it in that kind of world. Ultimate Moral Compass?! He cries tears of joy. He would get to show them, all of them, that hard work and effort beat genius! He would be a student at Hope's Peak through his own determination and ethics alone. What else could possibly show that more?

His grandfather dies before the fated day can come. Kiyotaka is sad, but he doesn't cry at his funeral. Instead, he solemnly bows his head. Fitting, if he's honest. Despite everything, Toranosuke Ishimaru would still be the first Ishimaru that would survive the annuals of history. That alone deserved some respect. He vowed to be the second.

He's 16 when he makes his first friend. Mondo Oowada, the Ultimate Bosozoku, was his complete opposite, yet they were exactly the same at the core: men with a determination to live up to and surpass their predecessors and strong codes of ethics and justice. It was only natural they would end up friends despite the constant arguing and the potentially fatal endurance contest.

Mondo is so kind. Kiyotaka is convinced that Mondo is the kindest person he ever met. He falls for him quickly, and lucky for him, Mondo feels the same way. Kiyotaka is so happy. Finally, finally after all these years, after all the pain and loneliness he's endured, he has someone, other than his parents, who care about him and love him for him. They have their first kiss after their first practical exams. They are both inseparable and beaming for the rest of the day. They vow to move in together after their time at Hope's Peak is over. They can't wait.

He's 16 [18] when he wakes up alone in a classroom. There is a childish note. 8 o'clock sharp, meet in the gymnasium. He gets there immediately at 7. There is another boy there with a ridiculous pompadour and long coat. He feels...odd looking at him. He wants to call him a friend, but Kiyotaka Ishimaru doesn't have friends. He feels odd as other students pour in. The headmaster Monokuma puts them in a killing game. Sayaka, Leon, and 'Junko' die a few days in.

Mondo and him fight often. They have a competition. He loses, but they are closer than ever. Something about how Mondo picks up his overheated body and sets him in the bath feels...familiar. He brushes it off. After all, Mondo is the first friend he's ever had.

A few days later, he loses his best friend ~~for the second time.~~ Chihiro Fujisaki, a kind girl...boy, is dead. Mondo killed them. Mondo dies, too, and Kiyotaka is devastated. Nothing has hurt more. Nothing could ever hurt more: not the bullying, not the fake friend, not the fake confession, and not the hammer hitting his head and making the world go pitch black and blood red. He dies alone and forgotten on the floor. He wants to laugh and cry all at once. Everything he did was for...nothing, but as he takes Mondo and Chihiro's hands and passes on, he thinks this alone was worth it all.


End file.
